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Considerable proportion work 61 to 80 or more hours; half of docs would prefer to work fewer hours

FRIDAY, Jan. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians work long hours, with most working 40 to 60 hours per week and a considerable proportion working 61 to 80 or more hours per week, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).

The report findings indicate that most physicians work 40 to 60 hours per week and that 23 percent work 61 to 80 or more hours per week.

According to the report, 20 percent of physicians aged 60 to 69 years work fewer than 40 hours per week and 20 percent work more than 60 hours per week. Among those aged 40 to 69 years, two-thirds work between 40 and 60 hours per week and 20 percent work between 61 and 80 hours per week. About two-thirds of physicians under age 40 work between 40 and 60 hours per week, only 13 percent work fewer than 40 hours per week, and 5 percent work more than 80 hours. Roughly one-half of all physicians of all ages said they would prefer to work fewer hours per week.

"An AMA-RAND study released last fall revealed that physicians who feel overworked, overscrutinized, or overburdened with unfulfilling tasks can suffer continually from a growing sense that they are neglecting the professional priorities that really matter -- their patients," according to the report.